Captivated by China’s beautiful landscapes during his time as a postgraduate student in Beijing, Kyle Obermann has been based in China for the past seven years and is an acclaimed conservation photographer and writer today. “Conservation is not just a story of nature, it’s a story of how people and nature interact,” said Kyle at our webinar on April 30 as he spoke to scholars and alumni about his career path and what he has learned along the way. He also believes that because stories have the ability to inspire empathy, passion, and emotion in others, one way to make a real impact is by giving people without a voice a platform to speak out. “For me, the biggest source of strength comes from lifting others up. I now measure my impact not by how many awards I’ve won, but by how many people I have helped,” he said.
Session Notes
00:39 Introduction of speaker
05:34 Kyle’s sharing – “Documenting Chinese Conservation”
12:34 How I got started
17:23 My conservation work
21:37 How I work to make change
28:09 The power of funding and connecting with corporations
30:59 Why do I dance?
33:23 Q&A
How did Kyle get started in conservation and what has he learned along the way? Check out some of the highlights of his sharing as captured by graphic recorder, Chan Wai!
Book Recommendations from Kyle
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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
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The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
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The Turning by Tim Winton
